


Just 10 minutes

by VengeanceAngel



Series: Attempted Drabbles [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Could trigger, Gen, Gun Violence, Mass shooting, Nobody Dies, Please beware the tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:54:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22248211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VengeanceAngel/pseuds/VengeanceAngel
Summary: Trigger: Mass shooting - Everyone survivesThere's a shooting at the mall. Billy shows up and wonders what happened.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, briefly mentioned - Relationship
Series: Attempted Drabbles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1601539
Comments: 3
Kudos: 67





	Just 10 minutes

**Author's Note:**

> Okay.... I failed to make this a "drabble" but it's short so I'm counting this as a win. :)

Billy looks around at the police cars and gets curious about what could have happened at the mall that requires this many people. He walks the throngs of people who are less than contained since there are so many shoppers crying and keeping the first responders busy. He sees a couple of people being treated for bruises and scrapes. There’s a man being handcuffed nearby and an officer with a backpack that looks full of ammo and guns and another officer with one weapon that apparently belonged to the man. It’s a mean looking gun and he looks around at the chaos with new eyes. He glances around, automatically looking for Max. He sees her finally, with Lucas of all people. He’s about to go and remind her that Neil would kill her if he finds her with the other teen. But then he can see that she’s crying. That she’s scared. Lucas is comforting her and they both keep glancing over toward the bathroom area by Scoops Ahoy. 

Harrington. Billy remembers hearing the other boy is working in the mall and something about a sailor costume. The ice cream place would make sense. He starts to pay attention to what people are saying and learns that someone came into the mall and began shooting the place up. And of course a guy in a sailor costume jumped the man and wrestled the gun away from him. Of course, Billy thinks. He rolls his eyes and looks around. But then he hears more about the incident, how the whole thing had been started and over with in ten minutes. How the police had stormed in five or more minutes later and thought Harrington was the shooter. How they’d almost shot him, but Harrington dropped the gun before they could. How shoppers grabbed the real shooter and beat him down until the police could get to him. How the police did the same to Steve until the shoppers’ shouts finally penetrated the adrenaline fueling the officers. 

And now Harrington is in the bathroom, being allowed to clean up after the misunderstanding. 

Billy walks toward the bathroom, not sure what’s compelling him. He knocks lightly, deciding he should at least check on him so he can tell Max how the brunette is faring. 

“I just need ten minutes.”

 _Ten minutes_... Billy cringes at Steve's wrecked voice. He's pretty certain that ten minutes felt like a lifetime to Steve when the shooting started. 

Billy slowly pushes open the door and sees the other teen, his hands braced on the sink, his head down, his shoulders shaking. A sob tears from his throat and Billy can see that he’s shaking all over, not just in his shoulders. He’s not sure what to do. All he knows for sure is that this man… this _boy_ stepped in the line of fire once again. Billy is starting to wonder if Steve even has a sense of self-preservation. 

Steve looks up then and sees Billy in the mirror. He wipes his eyes and looks down again, turning on the water and splashing his face, unable to hide his red and puffy eyes. He clears his throat. “How long have you been standing there?”

Billy steps forward, letting the door close behind him. “Tears, Harrington?”

Steve sighs, but there’s a hint of a whimper behind it. “Please… don’t start. I can’t…” He places a hand over his eyes as if to hide from Billy’s view. 

Billy frowns. He’s not sure why, but he feels a need to comfort. Steve looks as if he’s aching for it. “What do you see when you’re stuck in that head of yours?” He moves closer as if trying to calm an injured animal. “Is it when you first heard the shots? Or the screams?”

Harrington shakes his head and chokes back another sob. 

“Was it when you jumped the guy and had to fight for your life and the lives of everyone else?” He moves closer. “Maybe it was when the cops pointed their weapons at you?”

Steve sobs again, but this time it’s loud and vulnerable. “I… I had the gun and they were there. I dropped it, but…. They were all on me. I couldn’t breathe. I… I couldn’t talk and they were all yelling and screaming at me and I couldn’t… I didn’t know what they were saying. I didn’t know what to _do_ to just make it…. Make it _stop!_ ”

Billy isn’t sure if the last part was a continuation of the story or a plea for help, but he decides it doesn’t matter. He puts a hand on Harrington’s shoulder. “Did they hurt you?”

Steve turns then. Maybe Billy is moving too slow. Maybe he is desperate for a familiar face. But Steve throws himself into Billy’s arms and cries as if he’s trying to get out all of his pain in fear through his tears. 

Billy rubs his back and grips the other boy tightly, not knowing what to do, but wanting to fulfill the request to _make it stop_. “Harrington… _Steve_ … you’re safe. You’re… you’re a hero and you’re safe and… and I’ve got you.” He doesn’t know if his words are what Steve needs, but he knows by the quieting sobs that they’re good enough for now.


End file.
